John peirce harding



(No Model.)

J. P. HARDING. 'VENT PEG FOR BEBE OR OTHER UASKS.

Patented Jan. 23

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN PEIROE HARDING, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

VENT-PEG FOR BEER OR OTHER CASKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,319, dated January 23, 1894,

Application filed October 24, 1893. Serial No. 488,990- (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PEIRCE HARDING, examining officer Her Majestys customs, of 13 Northampton Park, Ganonbury, London, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vent- Pegs for Beer. and other Oasks, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a self-closing Ventpeg for beer and other casks, which is also self-opening in case of need to relieve gaseous pressure generated within the cask by the continued fermentation of the beer or other liquor.

The invention consists in the combination, with the vent peg, of a rotary plug valve which is normally turned to the closed position by a strong spring which makes it impossible for the valve to be carelessly left open after being turned by hand to permit a portion of the contents of the cask to be drawn off, the plug valve being tapered and held to.

a correspondingly-tapered seat by another spring which permits the plug to be raised from its seat by excessive internal pressure, the self-closing and self-opening motions thus being quite distinct.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, wherein-- Figure 1 is a vertical elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of the device. Fig. '3 is a vertical section on line 1-1 Fig. 1, and Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sections on lines 2-2 and 3-3 respectively, the plug valvein all the figures being shown turned to the open position in opposition to the spring.

a is the tapered tubular stem of the ventpeg, screw-threaded externally for screwing into the spile-hole of the cask and terminating in an enlarged chamber head b which serves as a handle to grasp the peg by when screwing its stem into the spile-hole of the cask, said chamber being closed by a screwed cover 0.

d is the tapered tubular plug valve fitted to rotate in a correspondingly-tapered seat bored out to receive it in the upper part of the stem at. The bore of the plug is open at the lower end to the bore of the stem (1 of which it forms a continuation and is closed at the upper end and provided with a lateral orifice e which by turning theplug in its seat may be made to coincide with an orifice f in the side of the stem a to give ingress to air when the contents of the cask are to be drawn oft.

g is an arm fixed in the upper end of the plug and passing through a circumferential slot in the side of the chamber 1) by which the plug is rotated in its seat, and h is a strong spring fixed within the chamberband engaging with said arm,whereby the plug is normally turned and held so that its orifice a does not coincide with orifice f. The upper end of the valve 01 is journaled in the cover 0 and between this and a shoulder on the valve a light coiled spring iis confined which presses the valve to its seat with sufficient force to keep it air-tight but which is weak enough to be overcome by internal pressure acting on the valve so as to permit the latter to rise from its seat and relieve the pressure, the slot in which the arm g works being wide enough to permit this'slight vertical play of the plug. The cover 0 is a disk having a threaded edge screwing into the internally-threaded casing b so as to enable the stress of the spring 2' to be thereby regulated without liability of being disturbed when the casing bis grasped externally for screwing the stem or into the spilehole. 1

I claim-- 1. In a vent-peg, the combination, with the tubular stem, of a rotating plug valve fitted axially in the said stem and having a,bore open at the lower end to the bore of the stem, and a lateral orifice communicating therewith which may be made to coincide with an orifice in the stem, and of a spring whereby the valve is normally turned to the closed position, as specified;

2. In avent-peg, the combination, with the tubular stem, of a hollow tapered rotating plug valve fitted axially in a correspondingly tapered seat in the stem, lateral orifices in the valve and stem which may be made to coincide by rotating the valve in its seat, an enlargedchambered head on the stem containing a spring engaging with the valve, by which stem and a disk cover in which the valve spindle is journaled, said disk screwing into the chamber to enable the stress of the spring 1 5 to be regulated, as specified.

Signed by the said JOHN PEIRCE HARDING.

JOHN PEIRCE HARDING.

In presence of- D. G. CLARK, B. O. DIXON, Clerks to A. .51. d2 Wm. Clark, Patent Agents,

53 Chancery Lane, London. 

